People around the world trust IT services to protect critical operations and keep their networks secure.
People around the world trust IT services to protect critical operations and keep their networks secure. But what happens when the one you turn to for emergency services is the cause of your technology nightmare? On July 19, 2024, CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity leader, launched a faulty Falcon Sensor security software update that affected millions of users worldwide. The sudden incident impacted businesses across industries around the world with financial losses reaching $5.4 billion. And that’s just the tip of the CrowdStrike outage iceberg.
The CrowdStrike outage is far more than a headline. We’re looking deeper into the causes behind this significant incident and examining its broader implications for organizations. Keep reading to understand how this event might have impacted your business and what it means for the future of cybersecurity.
What is CrowdStrike?
CrowdStrike is a leading US-based cybersecurity company specializing in identifying and neutralizing cyber threats in organizations. Since 2011, their critical services have helped over 29,000 companies across various industries, including finance, healthcare, and commerce.
CrowdStrike’s success has earned the trust of approximately 538 of the Fortune 1,000 companies, which has, in turn, boosted their reputation around the world. No one could have seen a global system crash coming.
What Caused the Microsoft CrowdStrike Outages?
In most cases, software updates are meant to patch security flaws and improve processing performance. However, CrowdStrike’s Falcon update caused the complete opposite. Instead of smooth operations, Microsoft users were faced with the infamous blue screen of death, notifying users of a system crash.
CrowdStrike Falcon is a platform that protects computers from malicious cyber attacks. Microsoft Windows systems see this app as a kernel-level driver—a program with complete control over everything in the operating system. Unfortunately, a flaw in Falcon’s sensory configuration update caused a Microsoft Windows system crash.
The CrowdStrike global outage stemmed from Falcon’s channel files, specifically channel file 291. This update comes in multiple versions, but channel 291 with timestamp 2024-07-19 0409 UTC contained the logic error that caused the crash. CrowdStrike immediately noticed and fixed the issue; however, it was too late for computers that had already been updated.
CrowdStrike Outage: A Global Phenomenon
Microsoft estimates around 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices were affected by the Microsoft CrowdStrike outages. A small error created a ripple effect that impacted multiple industries.
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Airline companies had to delay or cancel flights when their computers were inoperable. Staff were checking in luggage and issuing boarding passes manually, leaving customers frustrated.
In the financial service industry, bank operations froze when they couldn’t use computers to process transactions. People couldn’t access their bank accounts at critical times. Point of sale systems were down, affecting retail and customer service.
The healthcare industry was also in chaos. Most hospitals and clinics use some variation of Microsoft Cloud services to sort patient records and access communications. Due to the CrowdStrike global outage on affected devices, appointments were cancelled and patients were inconvenienced.
Understanding the CrowdStrike Fix
Hours after the incident, CrowdStrike CEO, George Kurtz, issued a public apology on his X account. He took this time to explain the CrowdStrike outage and reassured users that the situation was not a security breach or cyber attack.
A CrowdStrike fix became available in 79 minutes, but the recovery process was complex and time-consuming. IT companies had to work onsite to manually reboot affected systems, delete the problematic channel file, and restore normal operation.
While some companies could recover from this disaster quickly, others have taken longer with some still in the process. Businesses with extensive security measures have found the process more tedious. For example, having Windows BitLocker encryption on a computer slowed the recovery process. IT admins needed time to retrieve BitLocker recovery keys before restoring.
CrowdStrike Outage Leaves Canadian Businesses Vulnerable to Attacks
Cybersecurity experts have commented that Canada failed to respond to the Crowdstrike Microsoft Outage, criticizing the country for not having a leader or a defined response to handle cybersecurity attacks. This lack of organization leaves Canadians vulnerable and dependent on third-party entities during future incidents.
Company owners and those with affected devices desperately looked to CrowdStrike to restore systems and business operations. Attackers took advantage of this opportunity to exploit events by creating fake websites, sending phishing emails, and posing as CrowdStrike support to breach operating systems.
Lessons From the CrowdStrike Issue
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The key lesson from the CrowdStrike outage is the importance of vigilance. To prevent a recurrence of such incidents and avoid future cyber threats, consider these strategies to address technological issues:
- Automated Testing: Implement automated testing of software systems and updates to identify and resolve bugs before deployment.
- Manual Workarounds: Avoid over-reliance on technology. Develop manual processes that can keep business operations running smoothly in the event of IT service disruptions or connectivity issues.
- Disaster Recovery Planning: Prepare comprehensive disaster and recovery plans to ensure business continuity during unexpected outages. Having plans from A to Z is needed for managing and mitigating disruptions effectively.
Minimize Downtime With Integr8’s Managed IT Services
The CrowdStrike outage proved that implementing a proactive, holistic approach is the best way to prepare for future disasters. Combining a human element with automated tools and AI can help you protect critical infrastructure and develop strategies for disaster recovery.
Working closely with a top IT partner is also a great idea to protect your computer systems and avoid the notorious blue screen of death. Integr8 can help you prepare for the worst-case scenario. Our managed IT services include software solutions, cybersecurity, and 24/7 technical support.
Contact us today to boost productivity and protect your critical operations.
